3 Reasons Women Should Strength Train
3 Reasons Women Should Strength Train
If I had a dollar for every time I heard, “I don’t want to build bulky muscles” from one of my female personal training clients, I would be richer than Donald Trump. If you avoid incorporating weights into your workout regimen because you’re afraid of getting “bulky,” then you’re dismissing one of the best fat-burning methods around.
Many women believe that the only way to lose weight and burn fat is to do cardio. Cardiovascular exercise is important for good health, but it’s only a small part of the equation No disrespect to cardio, but if you want to blast fat, and get in the best shape ever, strength training is the way to go.
- Blast More Fat…..Burn More Calories
“I don’t want to be bulky or add size.” Many women won’t even consider weightlifting for they believe it to be a means to add size. When compared to cardiovascular exercise, strength training comes out on top in the battle to burn calories and stored fat and not just through the duration of your strength training session but long after. Simple muscle contractions from a simple blink of an eye to a heavy squat contribute to how many calories you burn in a given day. The more muscle contractions you experience during a day, the more calories you’ll torch. Carrying more lean muscle mass results in muscle contractions and thus more calories burned.
2. Improved Bone Health!
As we grow older and wiser, losing both bone and muscle mass puts us at risk for osteoporosis. This raises a higher concern for women due to the fact that the body no longer secretes the same amount of estrogen. Strength training is an excellent way to defeat the loss of bone mass, which then decreases the risk of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis and osteopenia are becoming more and more common in females of all ages, which can likely be attributed to physical inactivity and a lack of load-bearing exercises. Low bone mass is a major risk factor for fractures in females, and one of the most effective ways to reverse degeneration of bones is to consistently train with weights; So ladies, time to revamp your plan and lift some weights!!!
3. Healthy Heart, Increased Insulin Sensitivity
The most important muscle in our body…..the heart! Most of my female personal training clients assume that cardio is the most effective way to train the heart and improve those blood lipid profiles. Cardio is important. However, combining cardio with weight training actually has been shown to be much more effective. Not only does incorporating strength training into your workout regimen reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL), it elevates the levels of good cholesterol. Last but not least, strength training is one of the most effective ways to increase insulin sensitivity. This means your body efficiently at utilizes carbohydrates for energy and assists the muscle-building process, as opposed to storing them and then being converted to fat.
For more information on the benefits of strength training or if you’re looking to improve your body fat composition, lose weight, build strength, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and looking to hire a personal trainer, contact us.
